Father Knows Best

The Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine, was once found throughout the Australian continent, but later confined to just Tasmania. Settlers, loss of habitat, bounty hunters and disease finally brought about the extinction of this animal, with the last known specimen dying in the Hobart Zoo in 1936. Despite a lack of proof, many people believe that they still exist in the dense Tasmanian forests. The date of death of the last known Tiger, Sept. 7, 1936, is inscribed between the forelegs of the adult. “Benjamin” was the name given to the last Thylacine. “Devil” between the paws of one of the pups references the Tasmanian Devil, which is now endangered and threatened with extinction. £3 is the bounty that would have been paid for the two adult and two juvenile Thylacines. “Alan and Julie” on the lid is for a keeper at the Cotswold Animal Park and his wife, a keen HK collector. The chicken is hiding because it would have been a meal for the Tigers and the mouse is sheltering between the pups. The base of the piece is shaped like the island of Tasmania, with the arrow pointing North.